Boar Guinea Pig Has Stopped Eating

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PeachPandaNinja

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Hey
I know that guinea pigs are a group animal and cant live on their own but 3 weeks ago I had no choice but to seperate Yuki my boar from Panda my sow and her babies as I didnt want the risk of him getting her pregnant again. He was eating fine to start off with but now hes just stopped could this be because he is lonely he can hear the other pigs that I have however he cannot see them. The babies were three weeks old on Thursday which was when we took them to the vets to be sexed. Turns out we have two little boys should I try Yuki with the babies or is this not a good idea?
 
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It does sound like he misses her but I'm not sure about putting baby Guinea pigs with an older one.Maybe u could try one and c how they get on.I'm hoping somebody else can offer some advice x
 
PeachPandaNinja said:
View attachment 43609
Hey
I know that guinea pigs are a group animal and cant live on their own but 3 weeks ago I had no choice but to seperate Yuki my boar from Panda my sow and her babies as I didnt want the risk of him getting her pregnant again. He was eating fine to start off with but now hes just stopped could this be because he is lonely he can hear the other pigs that I have however he cannot see them. The babies were three weeks old on Thursday which was when we took them to the vets to be sexed. Turns out we have two little boys should I try Yuki with the babies or is this not a good idea?
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Please move Yuki's cage next to his family's to see whether that is perking him up instantly. Switch to weighing Yuki daily at the same time in the feeding cycle. If his weight continues to go down, you need to start syringe feeding asap and have him checked by a vet.

The boys can go with him. Ideally, you let Yuki get to know them beforehand with joined roaming time through bars initially, so it is easier on them all once you introduce fully. Make sure that the babies have got a small tunnel to escape into if dad's mounting is getting too much at first. Boars do not hurt babies.
Illustrated Bonding Behaviours And Dynamics
Introducing And Re-introducing Guinea Pigs
Boars: A guide to successful companionship.

It is likely that there is going to be trouble when the babies hit the teenage hormones, but if that happens, you could consider having the problem boy neutered by a good vet, so he can join mum and sister after a 6 weeks post-op wait to make sure that he is 100% safe. We can give you tips once your boys stop being babies.

Guinea Pig Vet Locator
 
At three weeks old are babies okay to be away from mum? As in placed with their dad?
 
PeachPandaNinja said:
At three weeks old are babies okay to be away from mum? As in placed with their dad?
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Any male babies that are not below 200g need to leave mum and sisters at 3 weeks old; very small male babies can stay on safely a week longer. Boars start being able to make babies between 3-5 weeks, sows have their first season between 4-6 weeks of age, not to forget about mums that get impregnated by their sons. The earliest documented sibling pregnancy is 21 days of age. Guinea pigs basically start procreating as soon as they are weaned! This pregnancy section is littered with cases of baby mums resulting from wrong advice or too late separation at the breeder's. :(

By three weeks old, weaning is full swing, so your little boys are not missing out on much.

Here is more information:
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/sexing-separating-baby-boars-and-rehoming-babies.109391/
Guinea Lynx :: Reproduction FAQ
 
Okay I hope I've made the right decision as I have moved the boys in with dad and they appear to get on alright and mum has got a friend which she appears to get along with. I can't keep an eye on them every second but I did for the first few hours and there was no fighting or blood this is regards to the boys now.
 
PeachPandaNinja said:
Okay I hope I've made the right decision as I have moved the boys in with dad and they appear to get on alright and mum has got a friend which she appears to get along with. I can't keep an eye on them every second but I did for the first few hours and there was no fighting or blood this is regards to the boys now.
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There usually isn't with baby boars. Many boars make very good daddies and toddler nurses! :)

Glad that all is going well for you and yours. You just have to see how it goes when the babies hit the big teenage hormones. If you have got four boars, I would try and see whether you can make two compatible pairs.
 
Thank you so much for all your help! (^_^)
Just one last thing the babies seem to be eating more solid food like guinea pig mix and vegetables and when I checked the mother she barely had any milk left.
 
PeachPandaNinja said:
Thank you so much for all your help! (^_^)
Just one last thing the babies seem to be eating more solid food like guinea pig mix and vegetables and when I checked the mother she barely had any milk left.
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Yes, the babies shift from a mainly fluid to a mainly solid diet during the second week of their lives. Soon after mummy starts the weaning process, which is already nearly complete by three weeks and generally over by four weeks.

Give mum some tlc in the coming weeks and keep her on the nursing diet with added vitamin C, calcium and protein for another 2-3 weeks to help boost her own body. Then you can shift back to the normal diet. Switch to weighing weekly, as with all healthy guinea pig throughout their lives.

I would recommend that instead of giving pellets once a day, to feed small individual portions 2-3 times as babies have the bad habit of peeing into them. This also makes sure that they all get a fair share. In the meantime, they can eat hay, which should make up to 80% of the daily food intake, so they won't go hungry! ;)
 
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